Sweden exit poll: Left on course for election win in blow to far right

Stockholm — According to exit polling, Sweden's center-left Social Democrats are poised to reclaim power in the upcoming election, dealing a setback to the far-right Sweden Democrats. The party, led by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, campaigned against giving ministerial roles to the Sweden Democrats, a group Andersson described as "extremist" with "neo-Nazi" origins.

If the poll predictions hold true, it would result in a rejection of the incumbent Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The moderate party's leader had reportedly been working closely with the Sweden Democrats and had pledged to include them in the cabinet for the first time if victorious.

Sweden employs a proportional representation electoral system, and according to SVT public broadcaster, the left bloc is projected to secure 51.3% of the vote. Kristersson's right-wing alliance is expected to receive 46.8% of the vote. While exit polls have occasionally proven inaccurate in the past, the final results should become clearer later on Sunday night when broadcasters are expected to release updated forecasts following a significant number of districts declaring their respective outcomes.

Regardless of the outcome, it will take weeks for party leaders to finalize a new coalition agreement. Andersson, speaking to POLITICO earlier on Sunday during her campaign tour around Stockholm, acknowledged that Swedish elections are often close. "When I’ve been around Sweden, a lot of people I’ve spoken to said they see things that the government has done that they like but there are also lots of things that they don’t like.

And many people say to me that it’s enough now," she stated. The election marks a pivotal moment for Sweden, as it will be closely observed by other European nations experiencing a rise in populist nationalist parties. Even Andersson recognizes that a victory for her left-wing bloc would not necessarily seal the fate of the Sweden Democrats, particularly if the final outcome is a slim one.

"The hate that they have spread through this election, and if they would become ministers and use their platforms as ministers to spread hate? Well, we’ll see if the Swedish people are very tempted on that," she concluded.